Reduction-gearing.



G. W. MELVILLE & J. H. MAGALPINE. l

, 1909. Patented Janl, 19m.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. W. MELVILLE d; J. H. MACALPINE.

REDUCTION GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED 1320.7, 1909.

Patented Jan.. u, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' INVENTORS glwvnmd MAW@ THEIATTORNEY IN FACT.

WITNESSES:

GEORGE W. MELVILLE AND JOHN HrMACALPINE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

REDUCTION-GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1910.

Application led December 7, 1909. Serial No. 581,809.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. MEL- vILLn and JOHN H. MACALPINE, citizens of the United States, and residents of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have made a new and useful Invention in Reduction-Gearing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to reduction gearingl and as an object has the production of gearing for transmitting ower from high speed motors, such as turblnes, to apparatus to be run at lower s eeds, such for instance as the propeller sha s of ships.

A further object of this invention is the production of reduction gearing in which the tooth pressures are. automaticallyfadjusted and distributed during the transmission of power.

These,""as well as other objects which will readily appear to those skilled in this art, we attainby the device decsribed inthe specication and illustrated in the 'drawings accompanying same and forming a art of this application, and throughout which like elements are denoted by like characters.

In the drawings, Figurel 1 is a View in elevation of a device embodying this invention with a portion of the housing thereof removed for the sake of illustration. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on the lines' 3-3 of Fig. 1 looking toward the left of said figure, and Fig. 4 1s a view in section of the pinion member and its mounting frame employed in our invention.

Broadly, our invention consists in mounting the frame carrying the pinion member of spur gearing, on a pin arranged in such a manner that the pinion is free to be rocked due to Uthe/tooth pressures encountered in a plane "perpendicular to the plane including the axes of the gear and .pinion and including the axis' of the pinin but is restrained and prevented from moving in the plane including the axes of the gear and pinion.

For the purpose of fully illustrating our invention but with no idea of limiting the saine to certain specific details, we have shown the invention as applied to a spur gear in which the gear and pinion members .are provided with reversely arranged spiral meshes with the gear member.

teeth, as in' the ordinary form of herringbone gearing. l

In the device chosen for illustration, a gear member 5 consisting of two sets of gear' teeth, G and '7, separated at their inner ends by a channel 8, is mounted on a shaft 9 which is adapted to be connected to the apparatus to be run at a reduced speed such as a propeller shaft. The shaft 9 is journaled within suitable bearings 10 and 11 carried in a frame portion 12 which in turn serves as a portion of the housing for the device; A pinion member which consists of a hollow shaft 12 provided with two sets of oppositcly arranged spiral teeth 13 and 14, preferably formed integrally therewith, The shaft 12 is journaled within suitable bearings 15 and 16 carried 'in a frame 17, pivotally mounted on a pin 18.`

The shaft 12 which is adapted to be driven from the high speed motor such as a turbine, the speed of which it is desired to reduce, is preferably connected to the motor shaft through the medium of a shaft 19 and iexible coupling 20 of any desired form. Shaft 12 is formed hollow and shaft 19 lies within the same and is secured thereto only at the end farthest removed from coupling 20, preferably by means of one or more keys 21. This construction, it will be seen, performs the same function as though an eX- tremely long shaft between the motor and the pinion were provided. Pivoted frame 17 is formed as light as is consistent with the rigidity required.

, Pin 18 which supports the pinion frame preferably lits the opening therefor in said frame tightly. able bearings 22 and 23 located on opposite sides of the' plane includingthe axis of the pinion and which. stands perpendicular to the plane passing through the axes of the gear and pinion. These bearings are mount-- ed in a portion of the main frame of the device. By having these bearings located as they are it will beseen that the pinion would be prevented from moving except in the plane above described.

The device is preferably rovided with a removable cover 24 and it wi lbe understood of course that suitable means for lubricat- The pin is journaled in suit-- ing the device will be provided. If desired the pinion member may be provided with three bearings, one of which may be located between the two sets of teeth.

In the device illustrated, while the gear and pinion are both provided-With spiral teeth,.s`traight teeth may, if desired, be utilized. When spiral teeth are utilized however, the longitudinalposition of the pinion `and the angular position of its axis, is determined exclusively by the action of the spiral teeth. The flexible coupling-between the pinion shaft and the motor shaft is preferably of a`construction suchthat it can only exert a rotative torque on the pinion without exerting any force axially.

In aecordancewith the provisions of. the

patent statutes, we have describedl the principle: of` operation. of ,our invention, toigether with the vdevice which lwe now conto,A4 represent the best embodiment threofjbut we desire to have it understood thatA4 the .device shown isonly lillustrative I' andthatithe invention can be carried out by J@be `plane, includinwl pinion so thatsaid other' means."

vVV-hat we claim is.:

l. 4In reduction gearing, a gear, a pinion meshing therewith, a frame carrying said pinion and arpin for piyotally mounting :said frame and provided with bearings on opposite sides of th'efplane'v including the iaxis of said pinion and perpendicular to theopration. of'the, earing to permit o the automatic, distribution of such pressures.

Iiireduction gearing, a gear, a pinion therewith, a framecarrying said p fnionandla mounting pinfor said frame located belowsaid pinion so that said frame theaxes of the gear and n sures during the operation of the gearing to permit of the automatic distribution of such pressures.

4. In reduction gearing, a gear, a pinion meshing therewith, a frame' `carrying said. pinion,l a pin passing through said frame below said pinion, and bearings on opposite sides of the center line of said pinion for supporting said pin allv constructed and i arranged so that said frame is capable of being swung by the tooth pressures during the operation of the gearing to permit of the automatic distribution of such pressures.

5. In reduction gearing, a gear, a pinion meshing therewith, a frame carrying said pinion and a pin for ivotally Supportinv said frame located be ow said pinion an midway .between the .ends thereof all conf structed and arrangedjs'o that said .frameis capable of'being swung by the toothpre's `sures during the operation ofthe gearing to permit of the automatic distribution ofsuch pressures. y f g I6.' In reduction gearing, a gea'ra pinion meshing therewith, Va"`fram e carrying said pinion and a pin `mounting member passing through said frame below said pinion and journaled in bearings located on oppo` site sides of the, axis of said pinionallconstructed `and arranged sothat said frame is capable of being A.swung `by the toothpres-` sures during th'ejoperation of the .gearing 80 to permit of the" 'automatic distribution of such pressures.' l

In testimony'` whereoi L .have hereunto subscribed my name this 6th day of December, 1909. 1 GEOUGE W. MELVILLE. Witnesses: y f .i

JNO. S, GREEN,

A l In testimony' whereof,` I have hereunto subscribedmyI-name this 4th day. of December, 1909."

, 'l Jona" 11MACALPINE.` Witnesses;l M y v Y -JN0.,IS..Giuliana,

C. 'MoGHnn i 

